BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                     H.B. 1311

80R9392 HLT-F                                                                                                 By: Bonnen (Janek)

Natural Resources

4/5/2007

Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The City of Freeport  has annexed land owned by the Port of Freeport and zoned it contrary to the port's planned uses, threatening the port's ability to create jobs. The Port of Freeport needs to retain land use control of its property in order to continue to effectively create jobs.

As proposed, H.B. 1311 prohibits the City of Freeport from annexing land owned by the Port of Freeport.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 43, Local Government Code, by adding Section 43.083, as follows:

Sec. 43.083.  CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES TO DISANNEX LAND OWNED BY NAVIGATION DISTRICT.  (a)  Requires a municipality with a population of less than 30,000 that borders the Gulf of Mexico and that, before the effective date of this Act and without consent of the district, annexed land owned by a navigation district operating under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, to disannex the land not later than January 1, 2008, unless the district notifies the municipality in writing that the district elects that the land not be disannexed.

(b)  Provides that this section expires January 1, 2010.

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.